By Dorcas Moyo
The Moabites once sought out Balaam, hoping he would come and curse the Israelites as they travelled from Egypt to the Promised Land (Numbers 22:1–7; Deuteronomy 23:3–4). Trying to curse people whom God had blessed was a terrible thing. But who exactly were the Moabites? They were descendants of Moab, the son Lot had with his own daughter. In fact, Lot had two children—Moab and Ammon—with his two daughters.
How did such a situation happen? Lot’s daughters made their father drunk, and after he passed out, they slept with him. Their aim was to preserve their family line since their mother was no longer alive. Lot’s wife had turned into a pillar of salt as they fled from Sodom (Genesis 19:26–38). Why were they fleeing Sodom? Because God was about to destroy the city for its extreme wickedness, but He allowed Lot and his family to escape beforehand.
Now the question is: why was Lot living in such a wicked place to begin with? The answer lies in a wrong choice. His poor decision led to long-term consequences. This brings us to the core message—wrong choices and their effects.
The story begins in Genesis 13:6–13. The herdsmen of Abram and those of Lot started quarreling because their livestock had grown too numerous for the land to support them. To avoid conflict, Abram told Lot they should separate since they were family—(Lot was the son of Abram’s late brother Haran). Abram gave Lot first choice: if he went left, Abram would go right, and vice versa.
Lot lifted his eyes and saw that the whole Jordan Valley was well-watered, like the garden of the LORD, and like the land of Egypt. This was before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot chose for himself the entire Jordan Valley and journeyed east. They parted ways. Abram dwelt in Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the plain and pitched his tent near Sodom. Yet the men of Sodom were wicked and sinned greatly against the LORD.
Here is where Lot made a wrong choice. The Bible is clear: the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly (Genesis 13:13). So why did Lot choose to live so close to such an evil city? He was attracted by what looked pleasing to his eyes—the green pastures and abundant water. He chose a place that benefited his livestock, even though spiritually it was harmful. There is no record that Lot prayed or sought God’s guidance before making this choice. He simply chose based on appearance.
In life, we face many choices, but just like Lot, we sometimes fail to choose wisely. We pick what looks good to our eyes without considering the spiritual consequences.
When offered a job, many people focus solely on the salary, which is understandable. But problems arise if we ignore whether the job will affect our relationship with God—whether it requires us to compromise our faith or leaves us no time for prayer and worship. Like Lot, we get attracted by “green pastures,” ignoring the spiritual dangers.
A young man searching for a woman to marry may focus mainly on outward beauty, which is fine, but only a few consider how the marriage will affect their spiritual life. Will the partner help build their faith or pull them backwards? The same applies when choosing a school for a child. Parents often look at buildings, grounds, and pass rates—which is good—but how many consider the child’s spiritual environment?
Today, many people are moving abroad seeking better opportunities—and that is not wrong. But before moving, it is wise to consider whether the destination allows for religious freedom and whether one can continue serving God faithfully there.
Notice that Lot did not immediately live inside Sodom. He settled near Sodom. As the English Bible says, he pitched his tent toward Sodom. Yet later, we find him fleeing from the very city he once settled near. Proverbs 16:25 reminds us: There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
Sometimes we comfort ourselves by saying we have not entered into sin, but in truth we are too close to it. Eventually, we find ourselves fully inside what we once thought we could avoid.
May God help us make the right choices always. In every decision we make, let us put our relationship with God first—before anything else.
